More than 50,000 Recycling Bins Expand Public Space Recycling Opportunities to 2.1 Million People

National nonprofit Keep America Beautiful and The Coca-Cola Foundation just announced the opening of the application period for the 2017 Coca-Cola Public Space Recycling Bin Grant Program. In its 11th year, the initiative is designed to expand access to recycling in public spaces in communities across America. Grant applications will be available online through Friday, Nov. 17, 2017. All interested parties can visit BinGrant.org to apply.

Since its inception in 2007, the grant program has made impressive strides toward expanding recycling in public spaces. Over the 10-year history, nearly 50,000 recycling bins have been awarded, including 36,000 specifically for public space locations, providing opportunities for recycling on-the-go to 2.1 million people on a daily basis. The more than 930 grant programs that have been awarded in all 50 states and the District of Columbia have collected an estimated 21 million pounds of containers and other recyclables during this time. The 2017 program is expected to award up to 3,000 recycling bins for locations such as streetscapes and playgrounds, athletic fields, fairs and festivals, and colleges and universities. The program is funded through a $300,000 grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation to Keep America Beautiful, which in turn awards recycling bins through a competitive, merit-based application process.

“Our partnership with The Coca-Cola Foundation is helping us overcome a primary barrier to recycling outside of the home – lack of conveniently available recycling bins” said Brenda Pulley, senior vice president, recycling, Keep America Beautiful. “With these grants we’ve made great strides over the last decade to expand access to recycling in public spaces.”

Eligible recipients for the 2017 Coca-Cola Public Space Recycling Bin Grant Program include government agencies, colleges and universities, civic organizations, public and local nonprofit groups throughout the United States. Keep America Beautiful will award the grants in November 2017, and make arrangements with suppliers to deliver recycling bins directly to the recipients in the first quarter of 2018.

“At Coca-Cola, sustainability is factored into everything that we do. Through our partnership with Keep America Beautiful and the Public Space Recycling Bin Grant program, we are working to reduce waste and increase recycling rates by making recycling bins more accessible and convenient for communities” said Helen Smith Price, President of The Coca-Cola Foundation.

About The Coca-Cola Foundation
The Coca-Cola Foundation is the global philanthropic arm of The Coca-Cola Company. Since its inception in 1984, the Foundation has awarded more than $900 million in grants to support sustainable community initiatives around the world. For more information about The Coca-Cola Foundation, please visit www.coca-colagivingback.com.

About Keep America Beautiful
Keep America Beautiful, the nation’s iconic community improvement nonprofit organization, inspires and educates people to take action every day to improve and beautify their community environment. Established in 1953, we strive to End Littering, Improve Recycling and Beautify America’s Communities. We believe everyone has a right to live in a community that is clean, green and beautiful, and shares a responsibility to contribute to that vision.

Behavior change – steeped in education, research and behavioral science – is the cornerstone of Keep America Beautiful. We empower generations of community and environmental stewards with volunteer programs, hands-on experiences, educational curricula, practical advice and other resources. The organization is driven by the work and passion of more than 600 Keep America Beautiful affiliates, millions of volunteers, and the collaborative support of corporate partners, social and civic service organizations, academia, municipalities, elected officials, and individuals. Donate and take action at kab.org.

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